Hitting too down on the ball?

[TaylorMadeTaylor]

My wrists are bowed at impact, I can see it on my camera (but I can't get it uploaded on this POS computer so I need to call my dad to come over with his, but as usual I'm heavily procrastinating). That is all good and fine, so I really need to focus on my swing plane. It is too steep. That's clear and that's obvious. I have made a few winter swing changes and have widened and flattened my arc, and started lagging more. Based on my range session it's working great. But, there still a few shots that pop up where I go back to my 'old' swing, which results in the original problem, and there are some where I try to hard to flatten out, turn over my wrists too much, and pull hook the piss out of it. I really need to get this video up...

Oh, by the way Taggsy I'm not an "official" 9.2 index. I just put that because my last 10 scorecards were averaged 81.2 strokes.

[Shanks A Million]

Originally Posted by Taggsy

Ok Shanks, I understand what you're saying now. But again, I disagree.

I happen to have a very flat swing plane (look up the threads I'd started and you'll find a few videos of my swing), and from experience I can say the thing I struggle with most is solid contact and a penetrating ball flight through not hitting down on the ball enough.

Hitting down on the ball isn't some bogus throwaway tip you find in the magazines, it's an essential feature of a good swing, and it's the only way to produce backspin needed for high, penetrating ball flight. Don't take my word for it, here's a video lesson from Lynn Blake from which he quotes The Golfing Machine at around 3:20;

http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/index.php/View-Video/133/Chapter-7-Lag-Pressure.html

(Thrust Direction) 6-E-2: "TRY TO DRIVE THE BALL INTO THE GROUND, NOT INTO THE AIR. If you don't KNOW that you hit down, assume that you didn't."

(capitalisation from the book)

But back on topic, my initial point was you can fix contact issues such as the OP's without having to change the swing plane. The OP is a single figure handicapper and there should be little wrong with his plane. If it aint broke, don't fix it.

But your swing is not at all too flat, it's actually on a very good plane (it's actually a pretty good swing).  Your problem is that you release the club too early, just like nearly everyone else.  You can't get solid contact consistently like that.  But as your swing is shallow, hitting down will seem like a good feeling to you.   You seem to think that a single digit can't have a bad swing plane, but god knows I can.  There are tour pros who are too steep.  Getting steep is a major problem for some body types, but not yours.  Your body type is conducive to a flat swing, mine is not.  My plane can get steep with just one practice session on a slope.  I have to watch it like a hawk.  I've had to bring it down this year 3 times.  Assuming, as he is a single digit, he doesn't flip that much, that is a likely problem.  Assuming he were a 20-30 handicap, a flip may be more of a concern.

Taylor, when you're flattening it out, you'll have the tendency to hang back a bit, flip, and hook it.  Just make sure you finish forward, with your hips facing the target.  I've faced the same snap hook, trust me.  As my pro says, swing on plane, turn through, and you'll never worry about a hook again.

[shortstop20]

Originally Posted by Taggsy

Ok Shanks, I understand what you're saying now. But again, I disagree.

I happen to have a very flat swing plane (look up the threads I'd started and you'll find a few videos of my swing), and from experience I can say the thing I struggle with most is solid contact and a penetrating ball flight through not hitting down on the ball enough.

Hitting down on the ball isn't some bogus throwaway tip you find in the magazines, it's an essential feature of a good swing, and it's the only way to produce backspin needed for high, penetrating ball flight. Don't take my word for it, here's a video lesson from Lynn Blake from which he quotes The Golfing Machine at around 3:20;

http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/index.php/View-Video/133/Chapter-7-Lag-Pressure.html

(Thrust Direction) 6-E-2: "TRY TO DRIVE THE BALL INTO THE GROUND, NOT INTO THE AIR. If you don't KNOW that you hit down, assume that you didn't."

(capitalisation from the book)

But back on topic, my initial point was you can fix contact issues such as the OP's without having to change the swing plane. The OP is a single figure handicapper and there should be little wrong with his plane. If it aint broke, don't fix it.

Hitting steeper down into the ball does not produce more spin, that has been proven by Trackman. Not to mention, a shallower swing plane makes for a higher ball flight, not a lower ball flight.

[TaylorMadeTaylor]

Ok update, I know it's not doing any good as you still can't see my swing but I'm just throwing it out there. The original problem seems to be gone, but I played today and yesterday and hit nothing but hooks. Duck hooks, snap hooks, pull hooks and even alot of push hooks with my driver. It sucks. Couldn't putt either, flubbed a few chips, even completly chunked a 5-Iron that went all of 50 yards. My game is in complete shambles. Good news though, for some reason I picked up a magic 20 yards off the tee, I'm serious. I've consistetly been hitting 1-2 less clubs on approach shots and even the GG simulator tells me I'm averaging 270, when last month I calculated myself at 254. I've made some changes that I guess are helping me hit further but it's irrelavent if a can't get it to go anywhere but left. ugghhhh....

[Shanks A Million]

Originally Posted by TaylorMadeTaylor

Ok update, I know it's not doing any good as you still can't see my swing but I'm just throwing it out there. The original problem seems to be gone, but I played today and yesterday and hit nothing but hooks. Duck hooks, snap hooks, pull hooks and even alot of push hooks with my driver. It sucks. Couldn't putt either, flubbed a few chips, even completly chunked a 5-Iron that went all of 50 yards. My game is in complete shambles. Good news though, for some reason I picked up a magic 20 yards off the tee, I'm serious. I've consistetly been hitting 1-2 less clubs on approach shots and even the GG simulator tells me I'm averaging 270, when last month I calculated myself at 254. I've made some changes that I guess are helping me hit further but it's irrelavent if a can't get it to go anywhere but left. ugghhhh....

That's normal when you flatten the swing.  You're probably flipping, make sure to turn through the shot, don't hang back.